You pick 'em | Quarterfinal IHSA football predictions

Last week's football predictions resulted in a tie between DoubleJ and the Sentinel, who both finished a perfect 12-for-12.

Ready to join the team of analysts and give us your predictions for our 12 featured games this week? This week's teams include St. Joseph-Ogden, Mahomet-Seymour, IC Catholic, and Quincy.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Unity's Alex Bromley strips the ball away from St. Joseph-Ogden's Logan Wedig on a third-quarter play during their Class 3A second-round playoff game last Saturday. The Spartans went on to defeated the Rockets 35-21 and advance through the bracket to face undefeated Mt. Carmel. Game time is set for 1:30 pm at Dick Duval Field next Saturday.

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See last week's second-round predictions

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Sentinel football playoff leaderboard

1. lg .::. 91.67%
2. Frank .::. 85.71%
3. Cory H - Steamers .::. 83.33%
4. DoubleJ .::. 80.76%
5. SportsMom .::. 75.00%
5. Coltrane .::. 75.00%
5. Cory .::. 75.00%
5. Pigskin Prophet .::. 75.00%
5. Da Bears .::. 75.00%
10. KingsQueen .::. 72.73%
11. The Sentinel .::. 58.33% 12. Hillary .::. 66.67%
13. Ryker Cenzano .::. 50.0%

Second-Round Results

1. DoubleJ .::. 12-for-12
1. The Sentinel .::. 12-for-12
3. Frank .::. 10-for-12
3. SportsMom .::. 10-for-12
5. Coltrane .::. 9-for-12
5. Pigskin Prophet .::. 9-for-12
5. Da Bears .::. 9-for-12
8. Ryker Cenzano .::. 6-for-12

See past playoff predictions here.

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More Sentinel football stories

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TAGGED: IHSA football predictions, SJO football prediction, Mahomet-Seymour playoff predictions, postseason football predictions, Illini Prairie teams

Playoff Pigskin Picks | 2026 Second-round IHSA football predictions

Round two of IHSA football features predictions for Loyola Academy, St. Joseph-Ogden, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond and more. Twelve games, eight predictions each. See who our guest analysts picked to win their second-round games this weekend.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Three Althoff tacklers wrap up St. Joseph-Ogden's explosive running back Logan Umbarger. Umbarger score four times in the Spartans' 80-31 win over the visiting Crusaders in their Class 3A first-round game last week. This week, SJO faces rival Unity at Dick Duval Field looking to advance to the quarterfinals. See predictions for this week's SJO-Unity game and 11 more below.

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#7 Salt Fork at #2 Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond

Ryker Cenzano	Salt Fork   35-21	.::.
Frank	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   35-21	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   28-24	.::.
Da Bears	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   34-21	.::.
SportsMom	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   48-14	.::.
Coltrane	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   34-20	.::.
DoubleJ	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   34-21	.::.
The Sentinel	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond   21-13	.::. ALAH has been play great football all season.

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#9 Oakwood at #1 Brown County

Ryker Cenzano	Oakwood   42-21	.::.
Frank	Brown County   45-14	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Oakwood   32-27	.::.
Da Bears	Oakwood   21-14	.::.
SportsMom	Brown County   54-7	.::.
Coltrane	Brown County   38-36	.::. Brown County is good but they haven’t been overly tested but I think barely pull it out.
DoubleJ	Brown County   28-24	.::.
The Sentinel	Brown County   28-21	.::.

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#5 Wilmington at #4 Tri-Valley

Ryker Cenzano	Tri-Valley   35-7	.::.
Frank	Tri-Valley   28-21	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Tri-Valley   28-24	.::.
Da Bears	Tri-Valley   16-8	.::.
SportsMom	Tri-Valley   24-14	.::.
Coltrane	Wilmington   28-16	.::. I think Wilmington wins but I will not be surprised if Tri Valley keeps it close.
DoubleJ	Wilmington   21-20	.::.
The Sentinel	Wilmington   34-28	.::. Giving Wilmington the edge, thanks to their defense.

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#16 Roxana at #8 Monticello

Ryker Cenzano	Monticello   40-21	.::.
Frank	Roxana   45-14	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Monticello   21-17	.::.
Da Bears	Monticello   21-15	.::.
SportsMom	Monticello   35-14	.::.
Coltrane	Roxana   35-34	.::. Roxana is a dangerous team, Monticello will have to be on their toes.
DoubleJ	Monticello   34-14	.::.
The Sentinel	Monticello   42-28	.::. Monticello dominates, but holds off 4th quarter surge by the Shells.

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#10 Unity at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden

Ryker Cenzano	Unity   35-21	.::. Mike Hardin is gonna be hard to stop also unity defense is looking great but st joesph has a pretty good QB
Frank	St. Joseph-Ogden   50-28	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Unity   35-31	.::.
Da Bears	Unity   27-24	.::.
SportsMom	Unity   35-28	.::.
Coltrane	Unity   34-28	.::. Give me the rockets for a few reasons: 1. Over the past 5 seasons they are the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. 2. Unity is 6-1 all time in revenge games. 3. They haven’t been swept by a team since 1987. 4. They are the hottest team in the conference and they are 10 times of a better team since week 4 and if they can control the clock and force a turnover or two then I think Unity wins. Also Unity has won 8 of the last 10 vs SJO in the playoffs.
DoubleJ	St. Joseph-Ogden   54-42	.::. Take the over on this game!
The Sentinel	St. Joseph-Ogden   48-36	.::. SJO's offense is a well-oiled scoring machine.

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#12 Metamora at #4 Sacred Heart-Griffin

Ryker Cenzano	Sacred Heart-Griffin   21-14	.::.
Frank	Sacred Heart-Griffin   45-13	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Sacred Heart-Griffin   27-21	.::.
Da Bears	Sacred Heart-Griffin   30-14	.::.
SportsMom	Sacred Heart-Griffin   42-14	.::.
Coltrane	Sacred Heart-Griffin   34-14	.::.
DoubleJ	Sacred Heart-Griffin   28-7	.::.
The Sentinel	Sacred Heart-Griffin   42-14	.::.

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#11 Cahokia at #3 Rochester

Ryker Cenzano	Rochester   42-35	.::.
Frank	Rochester   42-7	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Rochester   35-21	.::.
Da Bears	Rochester   27-14	.::.
SportsMom	Rochester   42-21	.::.
Coltrane	Rochester   48-41	.::.
DoubleJ	Rochester   34-28	.::.
The Sentinel	Rochester   28-14	.::.

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#8 Crete-Monee at #1 Mahomet-Seymour

Ryker Cenzano	Mahomet-Seymour   59-21	.::.
Frank	Mahomet-Seymour   45-0	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Mahomet-Seymour   42-24	.::.
Da Bears	Mahomet-Seymour   34-17	.::.
SportsMom	Mahomet-Seymour   35-28	.::.
Coltrane	Crete-Monee   41-34	.::.
DoubleJ	Mahomet-Seymour   34-7	.::.
The Sentinel	Mahomet-Seymour   48-42	.::. Tenacity propels the Bulldogs into the next round.

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#7 Pekin at #2 Normal Community West

Ryker Cenzano	Pekin   21-7	.::.
Frank	Normal Community West   28-21	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Normal Community West   31-21	.::.
Da Bears	Normal Community West   31-28	.::.
SportsMom	Normal Community West   21-14	.::.
Coltrane	Normal Community West   42-20	.::.
DoubleJ	Normal Community West   22-14	.::.
The Sentinel	Normal Community West   36-14	.::. Normal West capitalizes on early turnovers for the win.

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#11 Richards at #38 Glenbard North

Ryker Cenzano	Richards   45-34	.::.
Frank	Richards   21-14	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Richards   34-14	.::.
Da Bears	Richards   24-14	.::.
SportsMom	Richards   56-21	.::.
Coltrane	Richards   34-14	.::.
DoubleJ	Richards   14-7	.::.
The Sentinel	Richards   14-7	.::.

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#20 St. Patrick at #4 East St. Louis

Ryker Cenzano	East St. Louis   21-14	.::.
Frank	East St. Louis   55-14	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	East St. Louis   56-7	.::.
Da Bears	East St. Louis   35-7	.::.
SportsMom	East St. Louis   63-7	.::.
Coltrane	East St. Louis   48-28	.::.
DoubleJ	East St. Louis   21-7	.::.
The Sentinel	East St. Louis   54-21	.::.

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#19 York at #3 Loyola Academy

Ryker Cenzano	York   41-21	.::.
Frank	Loyola Academy   38-28	.::.
Pigskin Prophet	Loyola Academy   35-17	.::.
Da Bears	Loyola Academy   24-13	.::.
SportsMom	Loyola Academy   48-21	.::.
Coltrane	Loyola Academy   55-20	.::.
DoubleJ	Loyola Academy   21-17	.::.
The Sentinel	Loyola Academy   48-12	.::. The Ramblers start the second half on cruise control.

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Sentinel football playoff leaderboard

1. lg .::. 91.67%
2. Frank .::. 86.96%
3. Cory H - Steamers .::. 83.33%
4. Coltrane .::. 75.00%
4. Cory .::. 75.00%
6. KingsQueen .::. 72.73%
7. DoubleJ .::. 70.83%
8. SportsMom .::. 66.67%
8. Hillary .::. 66.67%
9. The Sentinel .::. 58.33%

Want to share your predictions and go head-to-head with the experts in our quarterfinal round next week? Visit OurSentinel.com on Monday for details.

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TAGS: Sentinel Postseason Pigskin Predictions, High School football predictions, Mahomet-Seymour football, Sacred Heart-Griffin earns unanimous pick, ALAH football favored to defeat Salt Fork, Unity playoff game at St. Joseph-Ogden, Monticello takes on the Roxana Shells in playoff game

You pick 'em | What are your second-round IHSA football predictions?

Congratulations to LG, last week's Postseason Pigskin Prediction champion. Ready to join the team of analysts and give us your predictions for our 12 featured games?

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Photo: Lori Garrett for the Sentinel

Unity's Beckam Brink drags a Central Catholic defensive back into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in the Rockets first-round playoff game on Saturday. Defeating the Saints 21-14, Unity earned a postseason matchup against undefeated St. Joseph-Ogden. Using the form below, submit your prediction for this game and 11 others playing around the state this weekend.

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See this week's predictions

See how last week's analysts performed here.

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More Sentinel football stories

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TAGGED: IHSA football predictions, Unity football prediction, opening-round playoff predictions, postseason football predictions, Illini Prairie teams

The winner is ... Postseason Pigskin Picks first-round results

Newcomer walks away with first-round pigskin pick title.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Althoff defensive back DeMarco Koonce brings down St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Lane McKinney. The Spartans scored 10 touchdowns in the first half on the way to beating the Crusaders 80-31 in their first-round playoff game. This Saturday, SJO takes on Unity at home in their third-consecutive postseason pairing. In the previous two meetings, and in every other playoff game the two have played since the 2014 season, the Rockets have prevailed.

See last year's SJO-Unity game photos.

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Congratulations go out to "lg", who successfully picked 11 winners from last week's 12-game lineup for the Sentinel Postseason Pigskin Picks for games in last weekend's IHSA First Round. Here is how lg and last week's analysts fared.

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FIRST-ROUND CHAMPION
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lg

97.67% .::. 11-for-12

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

2. Frank

81.82% .::. 9-for-11

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

3. DoubleJ

75% .::. 9-for-12

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

3. Coltrane

75% .::. 9-for-12

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

3. Cory

75% .::. 9-for-12

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

6. KingsQueen

72.73% .::. 8-for-11

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

7. SportsMom

66.67% .::. 8-for-12

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

The Sentinel

66.67% .::. 8-for-12

#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)
#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)
#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)
#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)
#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)
#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)
#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)
#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)
#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)
#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)
#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)
#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

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Enter this week's second round Postseason Pigskin Picks here. Link coming soon.

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More Sentinel football stories

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TAGGED: IHSA football predictions, Unity football prediction, IHSA postseason football, first-round predictions

Playoff Pigskin Picks | 2026 First-round IHSA football predictions

This week's IHSA football playoff predictions. Twelve games, eight predictions each. See who our guest analysts picked to win their first-round games tomorrow.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

TOLONO - Unity's Austin Wiersema celebrates his fumble recovery during his team's opening round playoff game against Robinson. The Rockets were picked unanimously by all eight analysts in this week's Sentinel Playoff Pigskin Picks. See details below.

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#10 Villa Grove-Heritage (7-3) at #7 Salt Fork (7-2)

Frank	Salt Fork   28-7
KingsQueen	Villa Grove - Heritage   20-17
lg	Salt Fork   28-13
Cory	Salt Fork   28-21
SportsMom	Villa Grove - Heritage   28-14
Coltrane	Villa Grove - Heritage   35-34
DoubleJ	Salt Fork   34-28
The Sentinel	Villa Grove - Heritage   28-20

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#9 Oakwood (7-3) at #8 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2)

Frank	Oakwood   35-14
KingsQueen	Oakwood   27-21
lg	Oakwood   35-21
Cory	Oakwood   34 28
SportsMom	Oakwood   35-31
Coltrane	Oakwood   48-27
DoubleJ	Oakwood   22-18
The Sentinel	Oakwood   35-28

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#9 Illini West (8-2) at #8 Peotone (7-2)

Frank	Peotone   45-25
KingsQueen	Peotone   27-24
lg	Peotone   41-21
Cory	Peotone   33 30
SportsMom	Peotone   21-14
Coltrane	Peotone   28-20
DoubleJ	Peotone   21-20
The Sentinel	Peotone   28-14

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#15 St. Teresa (5-5) at #2 Frankfort (8-1)

Frank	West Frankfort   35-21
KingsQueen	West Frankfort   44-21
lg	St. Teresa   21-14
Cory	West Frankfort   34 14
SportsMom	West Frankfort   48-10
Coltrane	St. Teresa   20-19
DoubleJ	West Frankfort   35-7
The Sentinel	St. Teresa   36-28

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#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0)

Frank	Byron   56-14
KingsQueen	Byron   56-7
lg	Byron   40-6
Cory	Byron   61-7
SportsMom	Byron   42-21
Coltrane	Byron   58-28
DoubleJ	Prairie Central   42-0
The Sentinel	Byron   42-28

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#10 Unity (8-2) at #7 Central Catholic (7-2)

Frank	Unity   35-28	.: I think Unity has been playing their best football the last few weeks.
KingsQueen	Unity   28-27
lg	Unity   42-36
Cory	Unity   35 32	.: I have a feeling it's going to be an absolute dogfight with the offense.
SportsMom	Unity   48-14
Coltrane	Unity   48-28	.: The Unity offense is playing almost perfect and Unity is the hottest team in the IPC, I think it’s close early but Unity wears down the saints.
DoubleJ	Unity   34-21
The Sentinel	Unity   34-28	.: If Hardin can deliver another week of brilliant running, Unity comes out on top in this knock-down-drag-em-out.

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#15 Althoff Catholic (7-3) at #2 St. Joseph-Ogden (9-0)

Frank	St. Joseph-Ogden   55-38
KingsQueen	St. Joseph-Ogden   54-23
lg	St. Joseph-Ogden   49-40
Cory	St. Joseph-Ogden   48- 17
SportsMom	Althoff Catholic   35-28
Coltrane	St. Joseph-Ogden   42-34	.: The SJO defense is suspect and Althoff is a tough team and gives SJO a fight.
DoubleJ	St. Joseph-Ogden   42-14
The Sentinel	St. Joseph-Ogden   54-36	.: Two talented running backs, a dual threat QB, and two speedy receivers ... SJO has too many offensive weapons.

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#9 Geneseo (7-3) at #8 Montini (7-2)

Frank	Montini   28-21
KingsQueen	Montini   21-14
lg	Montini   35-24
Cory	Montini   49 14
SportsMom	Montini   56-24
Coltrane	Montini   49-14
DoubleJ	Montini   34-7
The Sentinel	Montini   21-14

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#9 MacArthur (8-2) at #8 Mt. Zion (7-2)

Frank	Mt. Zion   35-21
KingsQueen	Mt. Zion   44-31
lg	Mt. Zion   14-7
Cory	MacArthur   34 32
SportsMom	MacArthur   28-7
Coltrane	Mt. Zion   42-28
DoubleJ	Mt. Zion   28-21
The Sentinel	MacArthur   28-20

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#11 Providence Catholic (7-3) at #6 Kankakee (7-2)

lg	Providence Catholic   35-21
Cory	Providence Catholic   21 7
SportsMom	Providence Catholic   40-14
Coltrane	Providence Catholic   35-20
DoubleJ	Kankakee   18-16
The Sentinel	Kankakee   36-31

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#20 Nazareth Academy (5-5) at #4 Dunlap (8-1)

Frank	Dunlap   45-28
KingsQueen	Dunlap   34-0
lg	Nazareth Academy   28-6
Cory	Dunlap   34 3
SportsMom	Dunlap   56-13
Coltrane	Nazareth Academy   34-22
DoubleJ	Dunlap   18-16
The Sentinel	Nazareth Academy   28-20

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#18 Moline (7-3) at #15 Glenbard West (6-3)

Frank	Moline   35-32
KingsQueen	Moline   27-24
lg	Glenbard West   14-0
Cory	Moline   49 35
SportsMom	Glenbard West   56-20
Coltrane	Moline   20-13
DoubleJ	Glenbard West   24-21
The Sentinel	Glenbard West   34-28

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Sentinel football playoff leaderboard

1. Frank (11-1)
2. Cory H - Steamers (10-2)
3. Cory (9-3)
4. DoubleJ (8-4)
5. Hillary (8-4)
6. The Sentinel (6-6)

Want to share your predictions and go head-to-head with the experts in our next poll? Visit OurSentinel.com on Monday for details for the Sentinel Second-Round Pigskin Challenge.

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TAGS:

Playoff first-round pigskin picks

Twelve games. One champion. Join the Sentinel’s Pigskin Playoff Challenge. This week's braggin rights and a shot at dethroning last week's champion are all on the line.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Logan Umbarger finds plenty of running room thanks to an explosive offensive front line during the Spartans' home game against Bloomington Central Catholic. Umbarger ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season game. SJO will need a similar performance on Saturday when they host Althoff Catholic in their first round 3A game.

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2026 Opening Round Scores

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Prairie Central 44
Chicago Christian 20

Unity 70
Robinson 16

Pontiac 44
Dyett 26

Lockport 35
Stevenson 21

O'Fallon 36
Joliet West 6

East Moline United 24
Champaign Central 3

Stillman Valley 32
Reed-Custer 31

Bismarck-Henning-R-A 51
Marshall 14

Villa Grove-Heritage 34
Dupo 0

Warrensburg-Latham 42
Georgetown-Ridge Farm 14

Buffalo Grove 28
Andrew 27

Tinley Park 20
Woodstock North 8

Urbana — Boom! Frank came out throwing bombs in last week’s pigskin challenge, correctly picking the winner in 11 of 12 games to take the opening-round title.

There wasn’t much separation in three matchups, with the forecasters splitting their votes right down the middle in Reed-Custer vs. Stillman Valley, Marshall vs. Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin and Woodstock North vs. Tinley Park.

Meanwhile, all six forecasters agreed on four winners: Andrew over Buffalo Grove, Georgetown-Ridge Farm over Warrensburg-Latham, Villa Grove over Dupo and Unity over Robinson.

A couple of picks stood out from the crowd. Hillary was the lone forecaster to take No. 23 seed Pontiac over No. 10 Dyett, and the Indians rewarded her faith with a 44-26 upset.

Cory H. — Steamers was the only forecaster to call No. 18 Prairie Central over No. 15 Chicago Christian. The Hawks scored at least one touchdown in every quarter on their way to a 44-20 victory.

Then there was the Sentinel’s pick of Champaign Central over East Moline United. Maybe it was hometown loyalty. Maybe the crystal ball was malfunctioning. Either way, the Panthers made the Sentinel look bad, rolling to a 24-3 win. All five other forecasters picked East Moline United. You win some. You lose some.

Can Frank stay at the top of our weekly challenge? Will the Sentinel climb its way out of the basement to a more respectable spot on the leaderboard? This week’s contest features 12 first-round playoff games, giving our forecasters another chance to prove who is the most clairvoyant football expert.

See this week's prediction here

Sentinel football playoff leaderboard

1. Frank (11-1)
2. Cory H - Steamers (10-2)
3. Cory (9-3)
4. DoubleJ (8-4)
5. Hillary (8-4)
6. The Sentinel (6-6)

Fire it up! Opening-round IHSA football playoff predictions

We picked 12 random opening-round games from across all eight IHSA classes for our panel of football experts to predict outcomes in this week's postseason pigskin pick 'em.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Prairie Central quarterback Collin Kilgus turns to handoff the ball to running back Kinser Benjamin during their team's road game at St. Joseph-Ogden. The 4-5 Hawks start the 2026 playoff journey with a trip to Palos Heights to take on No. 15 Chicago Christian (5-4) on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:15 pm. Prairie Central finished in fifth in the Illini Prairie Conference standings and earned a No. 18 seed in this year's new IHSA playoff format. See six predictions from this week's experts below for tomorrow's game.

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#18 Prairie Central at #15 Chicago Christian

Frank	Chicago Christian   28-14	.:
Cory	Chicago Christian   24-17	.:
DoubleJ	Chicago Christian   28-21	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Prairie Central   26-20	.:
Hillary	Chicago Christian   21-6	.:
The Sentinel	Chicago Christian   28-21	.:

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#23 Robinson at #10 Unity

Frank	Unity   35-14	.:
Cory	Unity   21-7	.:
DoubleJ	Unity   42-14	.: Unity rolls this one.
Cory H - Steamers	Unity   34-10	.:
Hillary	Unity   7-28	.:
The Sentinel	Unity   42-21	.: The Rockets will go 2-0 against the Maroons after Saturday's win.

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#23 Pontiac vs. #10 Dyett

Frank	Dyett   36-8	.:
Cory	Dyett   21-7	.:
DoubleJ	Dyett   35-16	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Dyett   24-21	.:
Hillary	Pontiac   17-3	.:
The Sentinel	Dyett   28-21	.: This where we find out how well IPC prepared the Indians for the playoffs.

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#37 Stevenson at #28 Lockport

Frank	Lockport   28-14	.:
Cory	Stevenson   21-17	.:
DoubleJ	Lockport   21-14	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Lockport   21-17	.:
Hillary	Stevenson   24-21	.:
The Sentinel	Lockport   28-14	.: Lockport defense will make the difference.

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#38 Joliet West at #27 O'Fallon

Frank	O'Fallon   28-21	.:
Cory	O'Fallon   14-3	.:
DoubleJ	O'Fallon   28-20	.:
Cory H - Steamers	O'Fallon   32-24	.:
Hillary	Joliet West   31-21	.:
The Sentinel	Joliet West   28-14	.: JW playing a tougher schedule wins this one.

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#17 Champaign Central
at #16 East Moline United

Frank	United   28-24	.:
Cory	United   31-28	.: Home field advantage will be a factor in this game, as both teams have had very similar stats.
DoubleJ	United   17-14	.:
Cory H - Steamers	United   17-16	.:
Hillary	United   21-0	.:
The Sentinel	Central   28-21	.: Central has the momentum riding on a four-game win streak.

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#18 Reed-Custer at #15 Stillman Valley

Frank	Stillman Valley   21-14	.:
Cory	Reed-Custer   21-7	.:
DoubleJ	Reed-Custer   20-18	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Stillman Valley   24-16	.:
Hillary	Stillman Valley   17-10	.:
The Sentinel	Reed-Custer   15-7	.: Looks like heartbreaker in the making for one team.

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#20 Chicago Marshall Coop
at #13 Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin

Frank	BHRA   28-21	.:
Cory	BHRA   24-17	.:
DoubleJ	Marshall   16-8	.:
Cory H - Steamers	BHRA   32-12	.:
Hillary	Marshall   28-0	.:
The Sentinel	Marshall   42-12	.: BHRA will have their hands full containing Marshall's speed.

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#23 Dupo at #10 Villa Grove-Heritage

Frank	VG-H   35-14	.:
Cory	VG-H   48-13	.: Gavin Taylor Jr. Is one heck of a Wide receiver to look for. The kid put 172-yard receiving against Sullivan.
DoubleJ	VG-H   22-6	.:
Cory H - Steamers	VG-H   26-8	.:
Hillary	VG-H   10-7	.:
The Sentinel	VG-H   28-14	.: Blue Devils advance if their offense is firing on all cylinders.

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#23 Georgetown-Ridge Farm
at #10 Warrensburg-Latham

Frank	Warrensburg-Latham   42-7	.:
Cory	Warrensburg-Latham   52-20	.:
DoubleJ	Warrensburg-Latham   42-7	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Warrensburg-Latham   28-14	.:
Hillary	Warrensburg-Latham   14-3	.:
The Sentinel	Warrensburg-Latham   36-14	.:

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#46 Andrew at #19 Buffalo Grove

Frank	Buffalo Grove   41-28	.:
Cory	Buffalo Grove   34-12	.:
DoubleJ	Buffalo Grove   35-6	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Buffalo Grove   34-20	.:
Hillary	Buffalo Grove   35-0	.:
The Sentinel	Buffalo Grove   35-14	.: Andrew has the talent to pull off an upset but falls short.

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#17 Tinley Park at #16 Woodstock North

Frank	Tinley Park   28-21	.:
Cory	Tinley Park   28-14	.:
DoubleJ	Woodstock North   24-20	.:
Cory H - Steamers	Tinley Park   34-26	.:
Hillary	Woodstock North   7-10	.:
The Sentinel	Woodstock North   28-21	.:

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Want to share your predictions and go head-to-head with the experts in our first-round poll? Visit OurSentinel.com on Monday for details.

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TAGS: Lockport Porters football prediction, Unity plays Robinson in opening-round football game, Praire Central Hawks travel to Chicago Christian, two Tinley Park teams hoping to make playoff noise, high school football predictions

Opening round playoffs, let's pick the winners

Join us in picking the winners of 12 IHSA opening round playoff games and guess the final scores in our postseason pigskin pick ’em. Entries are due by noon Thursday.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Zach Benoit and the Spartans get this weekend off after securing the Illini Prairie Conference title. Earning a No. 2 seed in the southern bracket in class 3A, St. Joseph-Ogden will play the winner of the game between #18 Harrisburg (5-4) and #15 Althoff Catholic (6-3).

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URBANA - The IHSA football playoffs start this week. Pick the winners of 12 games across all eight classes and guess the final scores in our postseason pigskin pick ’em.

The tailgate is already in full swing. Grills are smoking, folding chairs are circled up and a sea of school colors spills across the parking lot in hoodies, face paint and one very committed grandpa’s jacket. Somewhere between the second round of brats and the kickoff walk, the predictions start flying. Now you can make yours official.

Entries are due by noon Thursday. Add a comment if you like, and share the contest with your school’s fans. Predictions will be published Friday morning, and the results and leaderboard will go up Sunday.

The poll is closed! See this week's predictions

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TAGGED: IHSA football predictions, Unity football prediction, opening-round playoff predictions, postseason football predictions, Illini Prairie teams

Friday Night Forecast | Week 9 Illini Prairie Conference football predictions

Last week, three of our guest prognosticators went a perfect 5-0. This week, we have seven analysts with predictions for IPC teams and their final regular-season game. Who will finish the season with yet another perfect forecast?

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Keegan Schol runs the ball during his team's road game against the Spartans in September. At 2-6, IVC hosts Rantoul tonight looking for win that secures playoff eligibility under the new, expanded IHSA football playoffs this season. See below this week's game predictions.

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	Cory	Best Look Magazine	Frank
Prairie Central vs Bloomington Central Catholic	Bloomington Central Catholic 49-14	Bloomington Central Catholic 35-14	Bloomington Central Catholic 35-21
Illinois Valley Central vs Rantoul	Illinois Valley Central 28-7	Illinois Valley Central 24-20	Illinois Valley Central 45-14
Monticello vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda	Monticello 35-21	Monticello 31-20	Monticello 38-7
St. Joseph-Ogden vs Pontiac	St. Joseph-Ogden 54-14	St. Joseph-Ogden 28-14	St. Joseph-Ogden 54-21
Unity vs Mt. Vernon	Unity 45-21	Unity 20-8	Unity 28-21
Game Notes:	Six out of the nine IPC teams qualified for a spot. What does that say about the quality of the league this season? I say that just goes to show that the IPC is one of the hardest conferences in Illinois. The last two state championships have had IPC teams as runners-up.	Six out of the nine IPC team qualified for spot. What does that say about the quality of the league this season? I don't think it says a lot about the conference. The IHSA has built a playoff scenario where you can go 4 and 5 and have a decent chance of making the brackets.	The IPC has shown itself to be the best 3A conference in the state the last few years. I would expect at least 2 teams to make a deep playoff run.

	Coltrane	DoubleJ	Bement Bulldogs
Prairie Central vs Bloomington Central Catholic	Bloomington Central Catholic 34-28	Bloomington Central Catholic 27-12	Bloomington Central Catholic 28-13
Illinois Valley Central vs Rantoul	Illinois Valley Central 68-34	Illinois Valley Central 28-6	Illinois Valley Central 33-24
Monticello vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda	Monticello 42-12	Monticello 41-14	Monticello 35-6
St. Joseph-Ogden vs Pontiac	St. Joseph-Ogden 35-20	St. Joseph-Ogden 54-18	St. Joseph-Ogden 48-12
Unity vs Mt. Vernon	Unity 48-12	Unity 42-27	Mt.Vernon 28-25
Game Notes:	The IPC is hands down the deepest and toughest downstate small school conference I don’t think any conference comes close, we have had at least one team in the 3A Semi finals 4 of the last 5 years. And 3 of the last 5 have had a team in the 3A state title game. You have 4 Central IL blue bloods make up the top of the conference. Also 7 of 9 schools have made at least 1 state title appearance in their history.	IPC is a quality league. Tough games every week. That said, the IHSA playoffs are NOT what they once were. It used to mean something to make the playoffs, not so much anymore.	IVC will get it done vs Rantoul. IPC is top 3A conference in the state year in and year out.

	The Sentinel
Prairie Central vs Bloomington Central Catholic	Bloomington Central Catholic 38-21
Illinois Valley Central vs Rantoul	Illinois Valley Central 36-21
Monticello vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda	Monticello 28-20
St. Joseph-Ogden vs Pontiac	St. Joseph-Ogden 54-28
Unity vs Mt. Vernon	Unity 35-21
Game Notes:	Game to watch is Rantoul at IVC. A win for the Eagles denies IVC a possible playoff bid and a celebration on their first win since their 2024 win over Pontiac.

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Week 7 Results

1. DoubleJ .::. 5-0
1. Best Look Magazine .::. 5-0
1. Frank .::. 5-0
4. Sentinel .::. 4-1
5. Coltrane .::. 3-2

Friday Night Forecast Leaderboard

 1. Sentinel .::. 34-5
 2. DoubleJ .::. 33-6
 2. Best Look Magazine .::. 33-6
 4. Frank .::. 28-6
 5. Coltrane .::. 28-7
 6. Bement Bulldogs .::. 13-2
 7. Sagesrunner .::. 11-4
 8. SCOTTY P .::. 8-2
 9. Steve .::. 5-0
10. Laura .::. 3-1
10. Naomi .::. 3-1
12. Buddy .::. 3-2

Statistical Leaders

 1. Steve .::. 100.00%
 2. Sentinel .::. 87.18%
 3. Bement Bulldogs .::. 86.67%
 4. Best Look Magazine .::. 84.62%
 4. DoubleJ .::. 84.62%
 6. Frank .::. 82.35%
 7. Coltrane .::. 80.00%
 7. SCOTTY P .::. 80.00%

 8. Naomi .::. 75.00%
 8. Laura .::. 75.00%
10. Sagesrunner .::. 73.33%
11. Buddy .::. 60.00%

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Week 1 Predictions • Week 2 Predictions • Week 3 Predictions
Week 4 Predictions • Week 5 Predictions • Week 6 Predictions
Week 7 Predictions • Week 8 Predictions

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You pick 'em Week 7 Illini Prairie football predictions

Brush off your crystal ball and test your prediction skills for five Illini Prairie Conference football games this week.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

With Sages' Adam Reedy covering him, Spartan Brock Franzen makes a catch in the end zone on a two-point conversion play in St. Joseph-Ogden's road game at Monticello. SJO went up 28-12 in third quarter on the way to a 34-20 victory. Franzen and the Spartans host Bloomington Central Catholic (5-1) on Friday in an Illini Prairie game that will likely determine who will win this year's conference crown.

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URBANA - Each week, we’ll highlight the Illini Prairie Conference matchups and invite readers to put their football score prediction skills to the test with the Friday Night Forecast.

Think you can spot the upsets before they happen? Ready to back your hometown team with more than just school spirit? Less reliable than the weatherman, but twice as fun, join us in predicting the Illini Prairie Conference wins and upsets.

Submit your picks for the opening week forecast and see how your calls stack up against fellow Illini Prairie Conference football fans all season long. Drop back by OurSentinel.com Friday mornings to see which teams are predicted to win as they work to qualify for this year's state football playoffs.

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TAGS: Illini Prairie Conference football predictions 2026, Friday Night Forecast high school football Illinois, Illini Prairie Conference football picks, 2026 Illinois high school football predictions, Illini Prairie Conference playoff predictions, Unity Rockets football predictions, this week's SJO football predictions